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Toucans
The Toucan is a member of the Ramphastidae family, a group of birds located in the Neotropics. The word Toucan is taken from the Tupi word tukana, via Portugese. There are around 40 different types of toucan between 5 genera, including the Aracari and Toucanets. Relatives of toucans include Barbets and Woodpeckers. Appearance Toucans vary in size from the small Lettered Aracari, measuring at 11.5 inches (29 cm) from beak to tail and weighing in at 4.6 oz (130 g), to the large Toco Toucan, measuring 29 inches (63 cm) from beak to tail and weighing in at 1.5 lb (680 g). The body of a toucan, compared to many everyday birds such as crows, are short and stocky. Toucan's necks are short, just like their bodies, but have enough muscle to support the head. The head is also compact and muscly, quite squashed in with a small, barely visible neck supporting in most of these birds.. The bill, the trademark icon of a toucan, is actually quite light compared to the large size of it, generally measuring around half of the said animal’s body length. This is so because it is made up of bone struts with spongy keratin between each strut, making it both hard but flexible. It has been found that the beak provides temperature regulation for the toucan as the blood under the thin film of skin over the beak circulates all over the body. The beak also helps the toucan’s feeding method, as it sits in one spot and reaches all around, conserving energy. The tail vertebrae of a toucan are fused to the main body, a unique feature to this bird. Habitat Toucans live in, and are native to, Central America and parts of the surrounding land. They thrive in the tropics and make their home in tree hollows, hollowed out naturally or by creatures such as woodpeckers. Diet Toucans eat fruits and nuts mostly, but occasionally eat small insects. Toucans will also raid the nests of other birds, eating eggs. However, Toucans never eat their own eggs or that of their kin. Specimens Genus Andigena: Andigena cucullata (hooded mountain-toucan) Andigena hypoglauca (grey-breasted mountain-toucan) Andigena laminirostris (plate-billed mountain-toucan) Andigena nigrirostris (black-billed mountain-toucan) Genus Aulacorhynchus: Aulacorhynchus coeruleicinctis (blue-banded toucanet) Aulacorhynchus derbianus (chestnut-tipped toucanet) Aulacorhynchus haematopygus (crimson-rumped toucanet) Aulacorhynchus huallagae (yellow-browed toucanet) Aulacorhynchus prasinus (emerald toucanet) Aulacorhynchus sulcatus (groove-billed toucanet) Genus Baillonius: Baillonius bailloni (saffron toucanet) Genus Pteroglossus: Pteroglossus aracari (black-necked aracari) Pteroglossus azara (ivory-billed aracari) Pteroglossus beauharnaesii (curl-crested aracari) Pteroglossus bitorquatus (red-necked aracari) Pteroglossus castanotis (chestnut-eared aracari) Pteroglossus frantzii (fiery-billed aracari) Pteroglossus inscriptus (lettered aracari) Pteroglossus mariae (brown-mandibled aracari) Pteroglossus pluricinctus (many-banded aracari) Pteroglossus torquatus (collared aracari) P.t.sanguineus (stripe-billed aracari) P.t.erythropygius (pale-mandibled aracari) Pteroglossus viridis (green aracari) Genus Ramphastos: Ramphastos ambiguus (black-mandibled toucan) Ramphastos brevis (Choco toucan) Ramphastos cuvieri (Cuvier's toucan) Ramphastos dicolorus (red-breasted toucan) Ramphastos sulfuratus (keel-billed toucan) Ramphastos swainsonii (chestnut-mandibled toucan) Ramphastos toco (toco toucan) Ramphastos tucanus (red-billed toucan) Ramphastos vitellinus (channel-billed toucan) R.v.ariel(ariel toucan) R.v.citreolaemus(citron-throated toucan) R.v.culminatus(yellow-ridged toucan) Genus Selenidera: Selenidera culik (Guianan toucanet) Selenidera gouldii (Gould's toucanet) Selenidera maculirostris (spot-billed toucanet) Selenidera nattereri (tawny-tufted toucanet) Selenidera reinwardtii (golden-collared toucanet) Selenidera spectabilis (yellow-eared toucanet) Citation http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/pulse/spring2005/cover_story.shtml http://www.agencia.fapesp.br/arquivos/artigo_galetti.pdf http://www.emeraldforestbirds.com/SpeciesList.htm Category:Toucan Category:Families